While many of us are not kitchen specialists, we have the internet to rely on for quick hacks to make our lives easier. Luckily, there are a lot of people who have chosen to share their most noteworthy food hacks online! All things considered, why take the challenging course when there are easier paths you can take to accomplish similar outcomes. Indeed, sometimes the easy way ends up offering better results.
From keeping your baked goods fresh and soft to serving perfectly crispy bacon, this list of genius food hacks is sure to prove useful. Just a friendly reminder: drool-worthy photos await, so you may want to have a snack within reach while taking notes. You’re welcome!
A spice chart for easy cooking
We had no idea there were this many spices in the world. It’s so challenging to know which ones to utilize and for which particular dish. With this chart, you don't need to stress over what to include in a Greek or Italian spice mix.
You'll know precisely what to go for, and the amount to add to your mix. Did we mention we can nearly ensure that you will come out with a brilliant meal without fail?
The baked potato bun
No bun? no problem! If you're wanting a frank but don't have any buns, what do you do? Do you go eat something different? Not a chance. Now, there is a flavorful choice for you. Who would have thought that a baked potato could make a phenomenal substitute for a hotdog bun?
It's much healthier as well. Also, many of us have potatoes in our kitchens most of the time, so we might as well maximize this versatile staple.
Secret coffee hack
Iced coffee is one of the most delicious and energizing treats to enjoy on a hot day. Indeed, some of us love iced coffee so much that we’ll even drink it in winter! Now, we have a hack to ensure your iced coffee doesn’t get watered down as the ice melts.
Rather than placing regular ice in your coffee to cool it, you can pour some coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze it. This genius hack will make your coffee more delicious and your friends will surely love it!
No small baking pan? No problem
Unless you have a bakery, odds are you don't have every one of the potential sizes required for every recipe. You only have so much space and cash to spend on bakeware, and thanks to this hack, you don’t have to feel pressured to fork out for small trays.
As a general rule, there are recipes that require a specific size pan, but what do you do if you don't have the right size? Simply adjust the baking pan with aluminum foil as you can see in the image above. This hack can save you cash and help you perfect your favorite dishes.
What to do with leftover mashed potatoes?
We think mashed potatoes should be eaten the second they're prepared! Take a stab at placing some in your fridge and eating it the following day, and we bet you would concur that it's simply not the same. What do you do, though, when you have a lot of extra mashed potatoes and no room left in your belly?
Turn it into some cheesy mashed potatoes fritters for breakfast! This person mixed their leftover mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese to make fritters that can be cooked like flapjacks! It certainly looks yummy, and we'd love to have a few.
Broccoli stems make nutritious noodles
Broccoli is probably the best veggie out there. Not every person likes this vegetable, but for your well-being, you should try to fit it into your eating regimen. If you already eat a lot of broccoli, you probably feel sad every time you waste a stem. Thankfully, we have a hack to help you get the most out of every head of broccoli you buy.
The florets of broccoli are not by any means the only consumable piece of the vegetable. Broccoli stems are tasty and full of nutrients. You just have to peel off the tough outer layer. If you don't care for cooking or eating them along with the florets, you can run the stem through a spiralizer, creating a plate full of healthy noodles.
Oreos as cocoa powder
Even the most organized home cooks will run out of an ingredient at some point in their lives. If you ever run out of cocoa, you can utilize Oreo cookies. Just ensure that you eliminate the cream first.
Obviously, it would take a lot of crushed Oreos to bake an entire cake, but this hack is ideal for those times when you’re just a bit short for a recipe. It also works when you want to dust your creations with chocolate.
Chocolate cake in a waffle maker? Yes, please
Did you know those cake mixes sold in supermarkets serve more than a single purpose? For example, you can utilize them to make waffles. Simply blend the chocolate cake mix according to directions and empty it into the waffle maker. Amazing, right?
Look at the pup in the background of the image drooling over the chocolate waffles! Sadly, chocolate is dangerous for dogs, so that doggo is in for a disappointing afternoon.
Tie your roasted chicken with bacon
Cooking twine is a great help in the kitchen. It's utilized for tying and supporting meat, particularly full roasts like the one in the image below. If you're attempting to broil an entire chicken and you run out of kitchen twine, do you have to head out to the shops to pick up more?
If you have bacon in the fridge, there’s no need to leave the kitchen. In fact, once you learn this hack, you may never worry about cooking twine again! All you have to do is wrap the bacon rind around the legs of the chicken, and you’ll be good to go.
Power breakfast, anyone!
Because many of us are in a rush in the mornings to get to work or school, we rarely have the time to whip up a hearty breakfast, let alone sit down to eat it. A shot or two of espresso and a bagel will do the trick most of the time, but this hack can make your speedy breakfasts extra healthy.
For a good start to the day, morning meals should be packed full of fiber and nutrients. However, we don’t have too much time to spend crafting a culinary masterpiece. When you’re in a rush, a DIY smoothie pack is an ideal approach. Loaded with nutrients, these packs can be transformed into a nutritious smoothie in minutes.
Parchment paper as muffin liners
Muffins are some of the most delicious things to ever have emerged from an oven. They come in a wide range of flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and even corn. Almost any delicious flavor you could imagine has been baked into a muffin.
If you’re craving some muffins but don’t have muffin liners, what do you do? Get some parchment paper and cut it into 5×5 inch squares. You now have instant muffin liners. Call us crazy, but we think they look better than traditional liners.
Wow your guests with instant margaritas
We love indulging in margaritas on a blistering hot summer day. All it takes is a blend of your favorite tequila, sweetener, and lemon or lime juice with salt on the edge of the glass. It may be served with ice, without ice, or shaken with ice.
If you want to impress visitors with fresh margaritas, you can freeze some lime or lemon juice in an ice tray early and just put them in the shaker or blender when required. This will guarantee that the margarita is cold when you serve it.
Homemade yummy vegetable stock
Cubes of vegetable stock are easily accessible in the supermarket, but a fresh pot of veggie stock is second to none. It is more nutritious and has a lower sodium content. Here’s the hack: Don’t throw away your leftover veggie scraps as you can turn them into your own veggie stock.
Simply put all your veggie scraps in a plastic bag and freeze them until needed. Once the bag is full, dump its contents in a stockpot with water, and simmer on low heat. You’ll soon have some fresh and healthy veggie stock which you can use for an assortment of dishes.
How to prevent avocados from turning brown
We don’t know anyone who doesn’t love avocados! They are extraordinary on toast and magnificent as dips. Offer guacamole to anybody, and they will in all likelihood appreciate it. There may be seasons when they are more expensive than expected, but we're glad to follow through on the cost.
One thing we don’t love so much about avocado is that the flesh becomes brown once exposed to air. The trick you need to know to keep it from turning brown is to utilize clean plastic wrap squeezed right down on top with a couple of drops of lemon. Your guacamole will stay perfectly fresh until you’re ready for another round of tacos!
Save broken bits of bay leaves with a tea infuser
Bay leaf is one of the most commonly utilized herbs for cooking. Besides being an important culinary ingredient, research shows that it can support a healthy diet for those with diabetes, cancer, stomach problems, and other health issues.
Bay leaves are packed full of Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. If you consistently end up with broken pieces at the lower part of a bay leaf bag, you can salvage this by placing them in a tea infuser. This is also a great way to allow them to infuse into soups and stews as you can simply remove the tea strainer when the dish is ready.
From bread crusts to delish cinnamon chips
There are people who never grow out of wanting the crusts cut off their sandwiches. Rather than discarding them, why not make something tasty out of unwanted bread crusts?
Simply pour melted butter and cinnamon in a bowl with the bread crusts, then mix and pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes and you will have delectable cinnamon chips. They make a yummy alternative if you don’t feel like eating pizza or popcorn on movie nights.
Keep cakes fresh with bread slices
It's great to have some sweets after a feast, and cakes are some of the most well-known desserts on Earth. They are served in different flavors, sizes, fillings, and frostings, and they’re present on almost all special occasions, especially birthdays!
The thing is, when you serve cakes, they often don't get devoured in one evening. If you need to keep the leftover cake as fresh as possible, simply add some bread to the cut areas and store the cake in a sealed container.
Prevent fish from getting burned with lemon
What does lemon have to do with keeping your fish from getting scorched? Allow us to fill you in. Some fish, like salmon, can quickly stick to the grill or get charred. Lemon offers a simple way to prevent this from happening. As a bonus, the citrus flavor will infuse into the fish.
Place lemon slices on the grill first, then put your fish fillet on top. Another extraordinary hack to keep fish from getting burned is to utilize cedar boards. Known affectionately as “planking,” cooking with cedar adds a unique flavor to the fish.
Leftover mustard makes a delish salad dressing
Mustard is a versatile condiment that can be used on sandwiches, pasta, toast, eggs, and chicken. When we finish a container of mustard, we normally toss the container out. However, that is something we need to quit doing.
You can make a delightful dressing for mixed greens out of leftover mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and pepper jelly. Indeed, this economical salad dressing is so good it’s bound to become a new family favorite.
Work with a lid that is too small
Kitchen mishaps are inevitable. If the lid for one of your pots or pans gets damaged, and you can't find the right size to replace it, relax. We have an amazing hack that can save you.
You can utilize a smaller lid by setting it up with wooden utensils on either side so it stays up. It's nice to have covers that perfectly fit pots and containers, but if your kitchen is a little more haphazard, you now know what to do.
Use empty ketchup bottles as batter dispensers
We don’t understand people who don’t love ketchup. It’s a common kitchen condiment all over the world and utilized as an ingredient for barbecue sauce, coleslaw, meatballs, fries, and numerous other things.
If you have used up a whole ketchup bottle, don't discard it. These large squeeze bottles have so many uses in the kitchen. One of our favorites? You can mix up your pancake batter in there, giving you a mess-free way to dispense just the right amount of batter into the pan for every pancake. Best of all, you can easily store any leftover batter by popping the bottle in the fridge.
How to keep a burger intact
Something that generally happens when you eat burgers and sandwiches is that all the filling between the buns or the bread slips out the bottom. You must be mindful to such an extent that it's sometimes hard to enjoy your meal.
Here’s an easy hack that will turn things around the next time you prepare a burger or sandwich: fold a piece of lettuce over one side of the sandwich or burger to keep all the scrumptious ingredients from dropping out. Why didn’t we think of this earlier?
Chill the wine with frozen white grapes
Did you know that white wine should be chilled to maintain the acidity and the mild aromas? Note that it shouldn't be served too cold because this will modify the flavors, making them more difficult to taste.
A superb method for ensuring your wine is perfectly chilled is to keep some fresh white grapes in the cooler. After they are frozen, place a few in a glass of white wine. Enjoy your chilled wine and wine-infused grapes!
Homemade ravioli courtesy of a glass bottle
Some of Italy's most famous food imports include pizza, pasta, ravioli, and gelato. Ravioli is a type of pasta stuffed with minced meat, vegetables, or cheese and is usually served in broth or with a sauce.
If you want a homemade ravioli as opposed to purchasing the ready-to-cook variety from the supermarket, you'll be glad to know that the bottom of a wine bottle is the perfect ravioli press! This is the perfect excuse to enjoy a glass of wine as you cook – just make sure you clean the bottom of the bottle before you use it!
Tic Tac boxes for your spices
Tic Tacs have been with us since 1969. They were initially called "refreshing mints" and are manufactured by Ferrero, the Italian chocolate producers. This is the same company that makes Nutella, Kinder, and Ferrero Rocher.
Perhaps the most notable highlight of Tic Tacs is its box and dispenser. Tip: don't discard them when they are empty because you can repurpose them as containers for different spices.
Tenderize your meat with pineapples
While some people believe that pineapple and pizza are a match made in hell, the tropical fruit is amazing at softening meat. Yep, pineapples are masters at tenderizing meat! This is why so many chefs add fresh pineapple squeeze or crushed pineapples to meat marinades.
Pineapple gives the meat a natural sweetness that is truly irresistible. Looking at the photo above, we can’t help but crave a burger with a juicy slice of pineapple.
How to make crispier tacos
Tacos are one of our favorite meals. You get a little hand-sized wheat or corn tortilla topped with a variety of fillings such as beef, beans, cheese, and vegetables. Tacos are ideal for enjoying with friends and family as you can create a variety of fillings for everyone to share.
A lot of grocery stores sell taco sets that you can prepare in the comfort of your home. You can ensure your taco shells develop a perfectly crispy texture by suspending them over the rungs of your oven tray as you heat them.
Make your instant ramen more nutritious
Instant ramen makes for a decent feast should you need something quick that can satisfy your appetite. Look carefully after you prepare a pack of ramen, however, and you will see that it offers very little by way of nutrients and genuine sustenance.
Fortunately, this can easily be addressed. Next time you prepare instant ramen, mix in fresh vegetables like broccoli, carrots, spinach, and mushrooms. Your meal just got instantly healthier!
Make special pancakes
Most kids become fussy with food at a specific age. Parents can get frustrated when this fussiness emerges, but there are tricks to getting kids to eat without complaint. One of our favorites is to use color when preparing their meals.
Add sprinkles on top of the hotcakes, and they will quickly turn into a pleasant treat that youngsters will love. Call them rainbow flapjacks and make them on special days.
Dental floss for perfectly cut cakes
Soft foods like cakes can be tough to cut with a knife since they can easily fall into pieces. The answer for this is to utilize fresh unscented dental floss. It easily slices through cakes, cheeses, and other delicate foods.
Dental floss can likewise be utilized to slice through unbaked cinnamon rolls without creating a mess. We can’t wait to break out the cheese platter and give this trick a go!
Make French toast in a waffle maker
When people need to have a special breakfast at home, one of their go-to meal plans is French Toast. All you need is a fluffy slice of bread bathed in beaten eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk and sautéed to sweet and crispy perfection.
There is another magnificent method to cook your French toast, and that is in a waffle maker. This may not be the traditional method, but we have to say, it is a fantastic one.
Make your muffins and cupcakes more filling
Can you tell the difference between muffins and cupcakes? The surface of a muffin is generally a tad harder than that of a cupcake. They are thicker, larger, and more filling. Though they have their differences, they can both benefit from the hack we’re about to share.
If you plan to bake muffins or cupcakes, you can use a syringe plunger to fill them with cream, chocolate fudge, jam, or anything else you desire.
Vodka bottle rolling pin
What do you do if you want to wow your family with a home-cooked meal but the recipe calls for a rolling pin and you don’t have one? All you need is a bit of creativity, some resourcefulness, and a vodka bottle.
Think of the delish pizza and other pastries you can create with this hack. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a vodka bottle. So long as the bottle is round and sturdy, it should work.
You’ll love this wrap hack
Wraps don't need to be untidy, and they don't need to look and taste dull. You can have avocado, fried egg, ham, and cheese in a single wrap! This picture reveals every step involved in creating the perfect wrap.
The image above is your best guide on how to carry out this amazing wrap hack. Though this trick allows you to fit a lot more into your wrap, it’s still important to avoid overstuffing it. Enjoy!
Impress your kids with a swirly cake
Swirly cakes look extravagant and make it seem like you’re a genius in the kitchen. Want to make one of your own? You can do it by separating your cake batter into two parts and adding your food color of choice to one bowl.
Use the image above as a guide, and layer the batter into the pan before placing the cake in the oven. Slicing into it will be a real treat as you see how your handiwork paid off.
Clever cookies
The Christmas season is a time of delicious spreads, exciting presents, and family bonding. Preparing holiday treats for kids is a special tradition, and Christmas cookies are always a hit. The most famous images of Christmas are the gingerbread man and reindeers.
If you have cutouts for gingerbread men, we have great news for you: those same cutters can be used to create reindeer. Follow one of the designs above, or get creative and come up with your own reindeer look. We can already smell those cookies baking!
Anchor your sifter
If your sifter came without snares to secure it on the bowl, we’ve got you covered. There’s no need to toss your sifter out and purchase a new one. We have a modest fix for you.
You can anchor your sifter with a spoon. This will keep it from slipping, freeing your hands up and making it easier to complete your cooking or baking project without making a mess.
Don’t discard your empty pasta sauce jars
It’s so easy to just throw food packaging in the bin, but for your sake and the sake of the environment, it’s always worth thinking about whether things can be repurposed. This is a great way to avoid waste and save a little money.
Pasta sauce jars are almost always worth keeping, especially the ones from Aldi. When you eliminate the label, you'll see little measurements on the jar. This means you can use them as measuring cups for liquids.
We wish we knew this hack earlier
This is an exceptionally helpful kitchen hack, particularly for people who don't have a huge oven. If you plan to serve pizza for more than twelve people, you'll probably need several pizzas to ensure everybody is satisfied.
Even if your oven only has a single tray, that shouldn't be an issue. Cut your pizza in half and angle the flat edges to the outside of the tray. This geometry-based cooking hack maximizes space in the oven, and we are truly impressed!